Something On HIS Mind
by fananicfan
Summary: This is the sequel to "Something on HER Mind", though you don't have to have read it to follow this story - just read the AN at the beginning and you're ready to go., whether you read the first story or not.


**Disclaimer:JAG and its characters are the property of Belisarius Productions, CBS and Paramount. No copyright infringement intended.**

**AN: **This story is a sequel to "Something On HER Mind", though that story was originally to be a one shot, but I was persauded by feedback at the HBX to write this story. In a rarity for me, this story could be read as a one shot story, too, if you didn't read the first story. The only thing that you need to know to set this story up as a stand alone piece is that Harm and Mac have decided to date after her car accident in the episode "Four Percent Solution".

The item that everyone should know is this story takes place immediately after the episode "Automatic For The People".

**SOMETHING ON HIS MIND**

**by: fananicfan**

Harm lay in his bunk with something on his mind that wasn't allowing him to sleep.

His conflicted feelings weren't about what had happened or with whom it had happened because he knew that his heart was with Mac. No, his conflict was if he should tell Mac about it.

Harm rolled over, trying to find a comfortable position in which to fall asleep because he had to catch a flight back to DC in a few hours.

His first instinct was not to tell Mac. Yes, he and Mac had decided to officially date each other, but they'd hadn't discussed whether they were dating each other exclusively. In fact, they'd had only two dates before the general had sent him out here to investigate a jet crash. Just like he'd told Meghan, Mac wasn't his girl, not yet, anyway, so there was no reason that he should tell her. She wasn't his girlfriend, at least in the intimate sense, he rationalized.

...And it wasn't as if the kiss that he'd received had been romantic in nature, he thought before he restlessly turned over again. Lt. Graves had been standing next to the car in the street, watching them. He'd been in uniform and he hadn't participated in the kiss for both of those reasons, as well as the fact that he knew that he wanted Mac, and though they might not be there yet, they were dating, which was making the possibility of having a future together more probable than ever before. So why risk their future happiness by telling Mac?

Unable to get comfortable in his current spot, Harm rolled over again, his mind changing gears as he did. He should tell Mac, he thought. Though there was no reason to believe that Mac would ever meet Lt. Graves or Meghan, the fact that, other than himself, there were two people who knew about the kiss meant that, at some point in the future, perhaps when he and Mac were happily married, it would be possible for her to find out, even if he didn't tell her. Then he had the thought that, if she found out from someone other than him, it would cause a major problem, especially if it happened farther down the road in their relationship. Yes, in the interest of full discloser, he should tell Mac, he thought before rolling over yet again.

He'd come up with reasonable arguments for both sides, but which one was the best choice?

**NEXT DAY...**

**JAG HQ**

**FALLS CHURCH, VA**

She was putting off leaving her office for the courtroom for as long as possible, hoping to see Harm.

He'd been gone for a few days on an investigation in California, and though the middle of the bullpen or even one of their offices wouldn't be an appropriate place to give him a welcome home kiss, she wanted to see him. She might even get close enough to whisper to him that she'd missed him, but if that weren't possible, she'd certainly be able to ask him to join her for dinner.

The court recess was almost over. She'd waited as long as she could, but she had to get into the courtroom. She's was beginning to wonder if he was going to come into the office today. If he wasn't in his office when the trial was adjourned for the day, she'd have to decide if, after only two official dates, it would be too pushy if she showed up at his place without an invitation.

*********

The elevator doors opened, and Harm stepped off just as Mac came out of the double doors leading to the bullpen. It took only half a second for their eyes to find each other.

"Hey, Harm, glad to see you made it back," Mac said cheerfully, her spirits lifted by just seeing that he'd returned safely.

"Thanks. Is there anything that I should know before I go in there?" Harm asked, pointing to the doors.

"No, the place has been quiet with you gone," Mac said teasingly.

"Well, I'm back, so maybe I should go in and make some noise so that everyone knows I'm back," Harm said flatly.

"Yeah, I guess you should...I need to get going, too. I'm on my way back to court."

"Well, good luck in there," Harm said sincerely, but somehow it didn't ring true to Mac.

"Thanks," Mac said, distracted by the odd vibe that she was getting from Harm. Mac started to step away, but decided to ask, "How about we go to dinner tonight, and you can tell me about your trip?"

Mac was proud of herself. She'd asked him out, but to anyone who might overhear, it sounded like an innocent invitation.

"Can I have a rain check? I'm kind of tired after the flight."

"I guess so," Mac replied, feeling confused by his response. Feeling a little hurt, she added, "Let me know when, and I'll check my calendar to see if I'm free."

"Okay," Harm said. "I'll let you know."

"Fine," Mac said curtly. "I've got to get to court," she added.

Harm nodded, and they each started to walk towards their destinations.

By the time Mac reached the courtroom, she'd been able to assess Harm's strange behavior more objectively. He hadn't begun any lighthearted banter with her. He hadn't looked upset or angry when she'd said that she might not be available for dinner at another time. These things led her to one conclusion. Though fatigue or jet lag might be a contributing factor, he had something on his mind that was troubling him.

**TWO DAYS LATER...**

**JAG HQ**

**FALLS CHURCH, VA**

Though he still didn't know which option was best for his relationship with Mac, Harm knew for certain that there was going to be no relationship if he managed to continue to stay under her radar the way he had for the past two days.

He'd seen her walking through the bullpen a few minutes ago, heading in the direction of her office. It was time to make his move and ask her to dinner.

Harm made his way to her office. Her door was open, so he stood in her doorway, waiting for her to look up and acknowledge his presence. After a few moments of getting no response - he wasn't sure if it was because she didn't know he was there or that she was upset with him - he rapped on the doorframe and took a step into her office, not wanting to enter too far in case he had to make a hasty retreat.

"Mac," he said, causing her to look up from the papers on her desk. "Do you have a minute?" he asked hesitantly, not sure what kind of reaction he'd get from her after having let two days go by without speaking to her.

"I might be able to give you two minutes, but that's all. I'm due back in court in seven minutes," Mac answered.

"How's the case going?" Harm asked.

"Fine, I think that I've presented an excellent case, if I do say so myself, but I think my closing argument will be the icing on the cake."

"You've already got your closing argument prepared?" Harm questioned. Both he and Mac were usually last minute crammers when it came to their closings.

"Since I have to deliver it when we reconvene, I would hope that I have it prepared," Mac stated, slightly irritated. He'd know that the case was that close to being wrapped up if he'd spoken to her in the last two days.

"Since it doesn't sound like you'll be working on your case tonight, do you think that I could get that rain check for dinner this evening?"

"Are you buying or making?" Mac asked coyly.

"Whichever you'd prefer," Harm replied.

"I have to get back to court," she said, standing up. She was stalling because she didn't know what she'd prefer. Their first date at her place had been awkward. For their second date, they'd gone out for dinner and a movie, and the evening had gone much smoother. So dinner at a restaurant seemed a better idea for their third date, but she sensed an uneasiness from him that suggested to her that something was on his mind, and the confines of her apartment would be a better environment for them to be able to talk openly. Then, a place where they both felt comfortable and afforded them the privacy to talk came to her. "I'll tell you what. Why don't I come to your place for dinner? I'll leave it up to you whether you cook or stop and pick up something."

"Sounds like a plan. Then it's a date. What time do you think you'll be able to be there?"

Mac needed to get back to the courtroom, so she answered his question as she came around from behind her desk.

**THAT EVENING...**

**HARM'S APARTMENT**

**NORTH OF UNION STATION**

Harm had his vegetarian lasagna in the oven. Mac wasn't due for a few minutes, so it was time to survey the room to make sure that it looked just right, not seductively romantic, but not so casual that it looked like he was expecting the guys over for poker night.

Harm thought that maybe the candles might be too much, so he extinguished the flames and moved them off the table. With the candlesticks removed, the table looked bare. He placed a miniature rose plant that Mattie had left behind in the middle of the table. No, he didn't like the flowering plant as a centerpiece. He removed the plant, put back the candlesticks and relit the candles.

There was no reason for him to be in this panicked mode, he thought, taking a deep breath to settle his nerves. He'd done nothing wrong. He didn't have to tell her about the kiss, but in the interest of an honest and open relationship, he thought he should. However, how do you bring something like that up?

There was a knock at the door, and, when he opened it, there stood Mac, who wasn't in her uniform. She must have gone home to change because she was dressed in jeans and a sweater, mirroring his casual look. Her hair was down in loose curls around her face. She was beautiful.

"Hi," he managed to get out.

He'd seemed to be fine when he'd asked her to dinner, but now he was acting strangely again.

"Harm, what is it?" Mac asked, trying to get to the bottom of his odd reaction to her being at his door when he'd asked her to dinner.

"Nothing, come in," he said, stepping aside and opening the door fully to allow her entry.

Mac took a couple of steps into his apartment until she was in front of him. She thought about how she should've worn higher heels when she couldn't reach his lips without pushing up onto her tiptoes. Her lips barely touched his before she pulled away.

"I missed you," she said before continuing farther into his apartment to put down her purse.

"I missed you, too," he said before she heard the door click closed.

"Did you?" she asked. "Because you certainly didn't seem to be glad to see me two days ago.

"I didn't mean to give you that impression. I was very glad to see you and I'm glad that you agreed to have dinner with me tonight," Harm said.

"Speaking of dinner, something smells delicious."

"I went with a safe choice, my vegetarian lasagna. It has a few minutes left to bake, but if you're ready to eat, we can start with the salad."

"Then bring on the rabbit food," Mac said with a smile, teasing him. She was hoping to start some witty bantering, but he didn't take the bait. He just moved to pull out her chair at the dining table. Not being able to spur him into some kind of tit-for-tat seesaw of words was _not _like her Harm. There was still something on his mind. She hoped that, before their date tonight was over, she'd find out what it was before whatever it was damaged this budding new phase of their relationship.

As they began to eat, he asked her about the case that had had her in court. She gladly obliged his request because she was afraid that they'd be eating in awkward silence if she didn't fill him in on the case that she'd been prosecuting.

Telling him about the crime and recounting the evidence that supported the defendant's guilt filled part of the time, but with the lasagna half eaten, Mac had drawn out the information for as long as she could, and she wrapped up her story. Then she asked Harm about his trip.

Harm began his story, but having finished eating, they moved to the couch where they held hands as he finished recounting what had happened while he was away.

Mac thought that he'd given a pretty detailed account of his investigation of the accident that had caused the death and of the murder-obsessed Lt. Graves, so it seemed odd to Mac that he'd left out details about the daughter of the civilian casualty of the crash, except to mention that he'd been able to present her with a substantial settlement check in compensation for the loss of her father.

With their most recent cases discussed, Mac began to fill him in on the latest gossip around the office, including the latest rumor that Harriet was pregnant again.

"She is!" Harm exclaimed.

"No, I asked her about it, and she assures me that she isn't and that four is sufficient."

"You should have told her that they need one more." Mac gave him a curious look at his response, so he explained, "It's good to have an odd number, so, if you hold a family vote on say a location for a summer vacation, there can't be a tie."

Mac laughed. "I never thought of that....next time I talk with Harriet, I'll have to tell her that."

Harm smiled, and then Mac spoke again.

"I'm just glad that there aren't any rumors about us dating, because I'm sure that Harriet would ask me about it, and I wouldn't want to lie to her, but we agreed on our first date that we should keep our dating under wraps unless it becomes serious."

The moment that she'd started talking about them dating, she'd felt his body tense up through the connection of their clasped hands.

"Did something happen in California that you want to talk about?" Mac asked, knowing that he'd been perfectly fine prior to his trip.

"Nothing really happened," Harm said, his eyes darting away from hers. "I was just asked by someone if I had a girl and I didn't know the answer. I mean, we've had two dates before tonight, but we haven't discussed being exclusive to each other, so I've been wondering if you're dating anyone other than me."

"Only you, Sailor," Mac said with a smile before the wheels in her head put the pieces of his odd behavior together.

Mac yanked her hand from his and got to her feet. Harm didn't understand her actions and stayed seated on the couch in shock at her reaction.

"Now I know what's been on your mind. You met a woman while you were away. My guess is that she's the victim's daughter, and you didn't know how to tell me that you're interested in her, or was it more than just interest? Did you sleep with her?" Mac asked, her voice never wavering, though she could swear that she'd heard her heart break.

"No, it isn't anything like that," Harm said as he jumped to his feet. How could trying to tell her about a meaningless kiss get so far out of hand, he wondered as he reached for her. He needed to stop her from leaving.

Harm caught her by the elbow. "Mac," he began, turning her to face him. "She's the one who asked me if I had a girl, but I didn't sleep with her and I'm not the least bit interested in her." He could see pools of unshed tears in her eyes, and he felt badly for not just telling her about the kiss while he'd been recounting the trip. "I'm interested in you...only you," he said before kissing her soundly for the first time since they'd begun to date.

When their kiss came to a natural close, she asked breathlessly, "Then, why didn't you agree to have dinner with me the day you came home, and even if you were tired that day, why did it take you two days to ask me to have dinner?"

Harm pulled her into him. She was reluctant to accept his comfort, but once his arms wrapped around her, she rested her cheek against his chest and relished in being held securely by him.

"I was trying to figure out if I should tell you that she kissed me, but given what you thought it was because I wasn't forthcoming, it seems pretty silly to have withheld the information," Harm informed her.

Mac pulled back to be able to look him in the eye. "How did she kiss you ... like you just kissed me?" she asked.

"Nothing like that ... she was just grateful for my assistance in acquiring the compensation."

"But she's the one who asked you if you had a girlfriend?" Mac asked.

"Yes," Harm replied, unsure of where she was going to take her line of questioning.

"Did she kiss you like this?" Mac said before placing her lips on his in a kiss lasting all of two seconds.

"No, it was more like this," Harm said before kissing her the way that Meghan had kissed him.

Their lips parted, and Mac commented, "You do realize that, if she was kissing you like that, she wasn't just thanking you, she was letting you know that she wanted to sleep with you, don't you?"

"Aside from wondering if the current status of our relationship warranted telling you that she'd kissed me, I didn't give it any thought because it didn't mean anything to me."

"Then why did you ask me if I was dating anyone else?" Mac asked.

"I don't think that she'd have thought it was acceptable to kiss me, no matter how grateful she was, if I'd told her that I had a girlfriend. Asking you if you were seeing anyone else was to give me an idea of what kind of shot I'd have that you'd say yes to the thought of you and me dating each other exclusively."

"Let me see if I understand this correctly. Are you asking me to officially be your girlfriend?"

"I know that this is only our third date, but yes, you understand correctly. I want to know if you'll be my girlfriend."

"Yes," Mac said before their lips met.

When their lips parted this time, Harm offered, "I have chocolate cake for dessert. Would you like some?"

Rendered speechless by his kiss, Mac nodded affirmatively.

As they sat on the couch, eating their slice of cake, there was something on their minds - having each other for dessert instead of cake.

**THE END**


End file.
